


Walking Away

by CirrusGrey



Series: A Matter of Diplomacy (Swords and Fire AU) [5]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: :/, Ethics, F/F, Short, Treason, but I wrote it back before the hiatus so…, gotta say I feel weird posting this one given recent episodes, rating is for swears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26665225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CirrusGrey/pseuds/CirrusGrey
Summary: Daisy and Basira discuss the Falcons, and the benefits of leaving them.
Relationships: Basira Hussain/Alice "Daisy" Tonner
Series: A Matter of Diplomacy (Swords and Fire AU) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901050
Comments: 10
Kudos: 61





	Walking Away

“So…” Basira said, walking into the room she and Daisy shared at the Mews. “I may have committed treason today.”

To her credit, Daisy didn’t even raise an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. There was a kid, new recruit, doesn’t want to be in the army. I sort of told him how to get his jess off safely.”

Daisy flipped a page in the book she was reading. “He an artificer?”

“Yeah.”

“He planning on running to Vaskandar?”

“Yeah. I told him there are a lot of Witch Lords who’d be happy to take him in, but to head to Jon first.”

“Good, then. More power to him.”

Basira laughed, walking over to join Daisy on their couch. It was a bit of a tight squeeze to fit such a large piece of furniture into the small confines of their room, but it was worth it to make the place feel like a home. She draped an arm around Daisy’s shoulders.

“You realize we’re already under suspicion of treason after Melanie and Sasha got away?”

“Is the Council still on about that?” Daisy lowered her book, frowning. “It’s been months, why don’t they just charge us with something or drop the case?”

Basira shrugged. “According to Tim, they don’t want to believe it’s true. We’re too valuable to arrest.”

“Damn right we are.” Daisy made to raise her book again, but Basira put a hand out, trapping it in her lap.

“Daisy. Jokes aside, I do think this is something we need to talk about.”

Daisy sighed, marking her spot and setting her book to the side. “Okay. Go for it.”

“Right.” Basira tucked her feet under her, turning to face Daisy while she organized her thoughts. This was something that had been on her mind for a while, but it didn’t make it any easier to say. “I’ve been a Falcon almost my whole life. I’ve spent most of that time just following the rules, doing what I’m told and keeping my head down. You have too, since you joined.”

Daisy nodded. “Can’t go questioning orders when your life might depend on following them.”

“Right,” Basira said again. “But after everything that happened last summer, and everything with Melanie, I’m wondering if maybe questioning might be a good idea.”

Daisy nodded. “We have options now. We don’t have to stay.”

Basira let out a breath. “I take it I’m not the only one that’s been thinking about this.”

“Nope.” Daisy grabbed her hands, holding them clasped between her own and meeting her eyes. “I joined the Falcons willingly, and I’ve never regretted that, because it brought me to you. But you never had a choice. Now you’ve _got_ a choice, and if you want to leave, I’m with you.”

Basira squeezed her hands, closing her eyes for a moment while she thought. “When I was brought in, I never thought to question it. It was just how the world worked, and I didn’t mind because it gave me new opportunities to study my craft and develop my powers. By the time I was sent off to fight, I was so deep in it that I didn’t even question the fact that I’d never had a choice. Melanie made me question that.” She opened her eyes again, frowning. “Now, I look at these kids, and they’re being dragged away from their homes, from their _families,_ just because they have power. Some of them have parents or siblings tagging along as their Falconers, but that doesn’t change the fact that their whole lives are being torn apart just so that the Council can feel secure in how good their military is. I don’t want to be a part of that anymore.”

“So let’s leave,” Daisy said. Basira smiled at her.

“You sure you’re okay with that?”

“Yep.” Daisy lifted a hand, brushing it across Basira’s cheek. “I love you, and that’s worth more than this place. We’ll make Martin make Jon set up an artificery lab in the Estate so you can keep working on your projects.”

Basira kissed her, gently. “Thank you. And I’m sure Georgie would love to have you join her army.”

Daisy snorted. “They’re a bunch of green recruits who’ve never seen battle, but sure, it might be fun to see how she runs things.”

Basira laughed. “And if all else fails, they’ve got one hell of a library.” She reached over to grab Daisy’s book, dropping it back in her lap. “I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking there.”

“So we’re leaving?”

“Yes,” Basira said. “Yes, I think we need to. We’ll be able to slip out without too much fuss, just arrange to visit and never come back. I can break my jess once we’re up there.”

Daisy nodded. Basira took a breath, hesitating over a thought.

“Though… I think there’s one thing I want to do before we leave.”

~~~~~

The Council never did figure out who had learned how to break a jess, and posted those instructions up on hundreds of pieces of paper hung all around the Mews. But when they found out that their best artificer and her bonded Falconer had disappeared over the border and never returned, they had a pretty good idea.


End file.
